Year 8 Progress Tests

12th-16th June 2017

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1. Introduction

a) What are the Progress Tests?

The Year 8 Progress Tests will be taking place in most subjects in the week beginning Monday 12th June. While these tests do not lead to any external qualifications, they are an important benchmark for both school and home to see how well your child is progressing. They will take place in normal lessons (supervised by your child’s class teacher) and will be around 50 minutes in length in each subject.

The tests will cover most/ all of the content covered in Year 8. The topics which your child needs to revise are detailed in the following pages. The style of these tests will be modelled on GCSE questions and will cover the command words (e.g. describe, explain, analyse) which are used by the exam boards.

Your child’s performance in these tests will be reported home to you at the end of Year 8. A separate exam grade will be included in this report and this will help to inform your child’s overall ‘Current Grade’.

b) Will my child be taking Progress Tests in all subjects?

While your child will be taking tests in most subjects during the Progress Test week, there are some subjects (art & design, dance, drama and PE) in which they will not be taking a test.

c) When will the tests take place?

The Progress Tests will mainly take place in your child’s normal lessons during the week beginning Monday 12th June. One or two of these tests may also take place in the following week, where they do not have a lesson in the week 12th-16th June.

We are trying to organise these tests this year in a way that makes it clear to both students and parents when the test in each subject will be taken by each child. Over the next couple of weeks your child will be completing a Progress Test timetable (which will be stuck in the front of their Student Planner) which will indicate for each of the subjects when the test will be taken. An example of this timetable is shown below.

d) What happens if your child is absent from school?

If your child is absent from school, his/ her teacher will ensure that the test is completed in the next lesson after their return.

e) How can my child prepare for the Progress Tests?

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While some revision will be completed in school over the next few weeks, it is also very important that your child completes revision at home to help prepare for these tests. This will ensure that they are as thoroughly prepared as possible for these tests - and will also help them develop the study/ revision skills required for GCSE and beyond.

A starting point for this revision will be to ensure that your child has all his/ her exercise books to revise from. You should then work with your child to put together a revision timetable which identifies slots for each subject for revision. This should include some time over the May half-term. We would recommend that your child aims to spend an hour a day preparing for these tests before half-term and around two hours a day over half term/ after the holiday.

The following pages also include some details on revision and different revision strategies which your child can use. Your child’s tutor will spend time over the next couple of weeks working through this booklet with your child, including putting together a revision timetable.

f) Who should you contact with any questions about the Progress Tests?

If you have any questions or concerns about the Progress Tests, please contact your child’s tutor in the first instance.

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Year 8 Progress Test - Student Timetable (Blank Template)

Subjects

Day Date Period

Creative Technology (Computing, Food, RM, Textiles)

English

French

Geography

German

History

Maths

Music

RS

Science

Spanish

Progress Tests in German or Spanish will only be taken by students following two languages.

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2. Which topics will the tests cover in each subject?

Subjects Which topics will the tests cover?

How can I revise in each subject?

What additional resources can I use to help me revise?

Creative Technologies (Computing, Food, Resistant Materials, Textiles) - single exam for all

ComputingThe use of technology in the wider world, new and emerging technologyComputing and Control

FoodNutrition, healthy eating.The eat well plateThe uses of equipment

Resistant MaterialsResearch, product analysis and criteria to design products, SpecificationsDesign drawing, Evaluating ideasMaterials and Making issues:Material types, components, tools and equipment

TextilesResearch, product analysis and criteria to design products, Evaluating ideasUse of equipment; Making skillsProperties of fabrics

Revision materials will be accessible on Google Classroom.

Additional copies available from class teachers upon request.

Revisit the structure of projects set throughout the year and the design process cycle (research, analysis, specification, design, make & evaluate)

Computinghttp://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zvc9q6f

Foodhttp://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/

Resistant Materialswww.technologystudent.comhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

Textileshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/textiles/

English Persuasive Writing

Non-fiction texts

When revising English you should:● plan a variety of

writing tasks;● ensure you

understand the styles and features required when

http://grammar-monster.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/english/reading/sentences/revision/5/

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Techniques

writing for different purposes (e.g. to persuade; to describe…), audiences (e.g. adults, friends) and formats (e.g. letter, newspaper article);

● improve your understanding of how to use punctuation appropriately and for effect;

● improve your knowledge of different ways to structure sentences; 

● reflect upon why paragraphing is important and consider how they add structure to texts; 

● refresh your memory of different techniques that are used in writing (for example: metaphors, similes…);

● learn spellings that are commonly used;

● read widely (e.g. newspapers, BBC news website…) and think about how writers have made use of the above bullet points in their work.

Students should use their exercise books to review writing skills and targets that they

https://www.grammarly.com/

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have been given for development throughout the year.BBC KS3 bitesize writingBBC skillswise Grammar monster.com

French Film & TV, hobbies, a recent trip, style, weekend activities, describing homePresent, past and future tenses.

 Students should use class work and exercise books to review what they have learnt this year. They should go through previous assessments and use targets in books to guide revision.

Students' exercise books.

https://www.pearsonactivelearn.com/username: school username +01password: Gillotts123Students select Studio 2

- Red for students studying 2 languages, Green for students studying double French

Geography Definitions of weather and climate.Causes of flooding – be able to identify and define keywords Describe the social, economic and environmental impacts of the Boscastle floodingHow to plot a climate graph. How to describe climate graphs and climate data. Layers of a tropical rainforestAdaptations of plants and trees in the tropical rainforest.Definition of deforestation and coastal fetch

Students should use their exercise books to review what has been learnt this year. They should look at writing skills and targets that they have been given throughout the year.

Students can use their classwork books and KS3 BBC Bitesize

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Types of coastal erosion and their definitionsThe formation of headlands and bays as an example of a coastal feature.

German Describing yourself and others, pets, free time activities, town and area, a past holiday.Present, past and future tenses.

Students should use class work and exercise books to review what they have learnt this year. They should go through previous assessments and use targets in books to guide revision.

Students' exercise books.

https://www.pearsonactivelearn.com/username: school username +01password: Gillotts123Students select Stimmt 1 & 2Quizlet

History The Slave Trade.Knowledge and source assessment.

Revision materials accessible on Google Classroom.Additional copies available from class teachers upon request.

BBC Bitesizehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/zqyfr82

Maths Students will be told which level papers they are taking by their class teacher.

The main way to revise Maths is by doing questions. Students should do questions on each topic on the revision list and aim for 100% accuracy - you are only a Master when you never get it wrong.

www.vle.Mathswatch.co.uk (do interactive questions and worksheets)Practice questions will also be posted on google classroom

Music Information about topics we have studied this year, including the History of Blues, notes on the stave, rhythms and music vocabulary and listening to and identifying different tempos, dynamics and instruments.

Read through the revision pack and practice at home.

Revision pack will be available on Google Classroom.

RS Islam and HinduismMuslim and Hindu beliefs about God, places of worship

Students should use their exercise books to review writing skills and targets that they have been given for

KS3 Bitesize - Islam, Hinduism and Christianity

http://

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Importance of JesusBeliefs about Jesus, miracles, why Jesus was important.

Introduction to Philosophy and EthicsArguments for the existence of God, Free will, suffering and war

SikhismUnderstanding the key beliefs and practices of this religion.

development after assessments throughout the year

request.org.uk/issues/ultimate-questions/

Science 8.1 Food Science8.2 Electricity and Magnetism8.3 Periodic Table8.4 Cellular Reactions8.5 Waves8.6 Forces8.7 Human Body

Students should reflect on topics covered this year and use their exercise books as a revision resource. Key words and processes need to be focussed on using index cards or mind maps to structure revision.

KS3 BBC BitesizeCGP KS3 Revision GuideSAM LearningQuizletClick on link below to find revision list:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5rpSlfgabSMRlR2T1RzVzZTc2M/view?usp=sharing

Spanish Free time activities, describing friends and family, town and local area, a past holiday.Present, past and future tenses.

Students should use class work and exercise books to review what they have learnt this year. They should go through previous assessments and use targets in books to guide revision.

Students' exercise books.

https://www.pearsonactivelearn.com/username: school username +01password: Gillotts123Students select Viva 1 & 2

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Preparation

3. How to revise effectively?

a) Being organised

● Being organised is a key to successful revision. This will include:- Having a quiet place to revise- Ensuring that all your revision resources (including exercise books) are available- Planning your revision for each subject (a revision timetable) and sticking to it- Rewarding yourself when you meet your revision targets and catching up if you

do not

b) Producing a Revision Timetable

● It is very easy just to revise the subjects which you enjoy the most or are best at.

● However, the Progress Tests will cover all your subjects and it is important that you do well in all of them.

● Producing a revision timetable which covers all the subjects is really important - this should involve shorter bursts of revision in each subject (and coming back to subjects) rather than trying to cover everything in one go.

● It is important that English and maths are a central part of this schedule - but please do not forget all the other subjects.

● We would recommend starting your revision as soon as possible (there are three weeks until half term) with the aim of spending an hour or so revising a night before half-term and then a couple of hours a day over half-term (and in the week half-term).

● We recommend doing revision in 30 minute bursts (2 subjects per night) in the run-up to half-term and then 3 subjects per day/ night during and after half-term.

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Revision Timetable (Template)

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sunday

Week 1(wb 15/5)

Week 2(wb 22/5)

Week 3- Half Term(wb 29/5)

Week 4(wb 5/6)

Week 5(wb 12/6)

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● The next section includes some examples of revision techniques which your child might use:

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